Belt-fastening machines



Jan. 26, 1965 1 A. NEALE BELT-FASTENING MACHINES Filed May 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l www Jan. 26, 1965 A. NEALE BELT-FASTENING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27, 1965 Inventor Ma/57. M

B mMWJ/ United States Patent O 3,166,759 BELT-FASTENNG MACHINES Leslie A. Neale, Shelield, England, assigner to Hayden-Niles Limited l Filed May 27, 1963, Ser. No. 283,356 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 15, 1962, 47 ,494/ 62 4 Claims. (Cl. 1342) This invention relates tobelt-fastening machines, and is particularly concerned with machines for the application to the end of a conveyor belt of a joint-half consisting of U-shaped elements disposed side-by-side, with a plurality of pairs of holes disposed lengthwise of each limb of each element, and staples with pointed legs each to pass through a pair of holes in one limb of an element and then through a corresponding pair of holes in the other limb after piercing the belt-thickness between those limbs, the points of the legs being bent over the outer surface of that other limb.

According to the present invention, a belt-fastening machine for making a joint-half of the type referred to comprises a comb-bar with a slotted front face into the slots of which can be inserted the bases of the U-shaped elements, a securing rod to be passed inside the comb-bar through the bases of the elements, the comb-bar extending transversely between side frames of the machine, a jaw unit movable transversely between the side frames and carrying a pawl for engagement with a transverse rack bar having a pitch equal to that of the successive pairs of holes of the elements secured in the comb-bar, the pawl being mounted on a part of connecting means between manual operating means of the jaw unit and the jaws of the unit so as to engage the rack bar after each closing movement of the jaws, means to present a succession of staples below one jaw of the jaw unit for the points of each staple leg to be pressed by that jaw through corresponding pairs of holes in a U-shaped element and the thickness of a belt interposed between the limbs of the element, the other jaw serving to bend over the points thus pressed through the limbs and the belt thickness.

Preferably, the jaw serving to press the points of the legs through the belt extends transversely over the space occupied by a plurality of successively presented staples, and has a stepped face to engagetsuch plurality of staples by each step in turn. This enables one staple to be partially pressed as previously presented staples are progressively further pressed, so that the movement of the jaw with respect to the belt is a fraction only of the movement to be given to each staple to achieve full penetration of the belt.

With such a stepped jaw, the other jaw may have a transverse extent over the space occupied by a last wide step of the stepped jaw, with deep recesses to receive and bend the protruding points of the legs of one staple and a ilat surface or shallow alongside the deep recesses to press the bent points of the legs of a preceding staple.

The staple-presenting means may consist of a staple guide extending between the side frames of the machine, with a lengthwise slot extending from its upper face to its lower face, and registering pairs of grooves in the vertical faces of the slot to locate staples loaded into the guide with a spacing equal to that of the successive pairs of holes in the elements secured in the comb-bar, the pressing jaw being movable vertically in the slot. The staples may be presented to the guide as an assembly having the desired spacing between the staples, for the staples to be detached from the assembly as they are pressed into the belt. Thus, the crowns of the staples may be welded or-similarly secured to a wire or strip which is capable of being snapped thus releasing the ice staple as it is pressed from the assembly so that each staple proceeds individually to its nal position.

Alternatively, the jaw unit of the machine may be provided with a transverse magazine to be loaded with staples disposed compactly side-by-side, for each staple in turn to be engaged by the pressing jaw at a closing movement of the jaws as that staple is brought into position to be pressed through the belt.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a plan, with one end and other portions omitted, of a machine having a slotted staple guide for spaced staples;

FIGURE 2 is a part-sectional side elevation of the machine seen in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the machine as viewed from the left of FIGURE 2, with para broken away.

The machine has side frames composed of bent tubes 1 and plates 2 connected at the front end by upper and lower transverse straps 3, 4 and at the rear by a transverse tube 5. The frames are also connected by a pivot bar 6 between the plates 2 and by a rack bar 7 between uprights 8. The frames are also connected by a combbar 9 through which is passed a securing rod 10. The comb-bar lies in front of the pivot bar 6 and behind a staple guide 11 for staples 12, the pointed legs of which engage vertical grooves 13 in the walls of a lengthwise slot 14 of the guide. The guide 11 serves to clamp a belt end 15 to the top edge of the strap 4 and to the top of a transverse bar 16 in front of the comb-bar 9. Levers 17 (one only shown in FIGURE 1) enable the guide 11 to be lifted and lowered. When lowered, the guide is given clamping pressure by springs 18 (FIGURE 3), regardless of the thickness of the belt 15.

A jaw unit has side plates 19 and bars 6, 7, with the front ends of the plates embracing the comb-bar 9. A pair of hand levers 20 are pivoted sideby-side on the bar 7 between the plates 19. Short arms 21 of the levers are connected by links 22 to a slider 23 movable along horizontal slots 24 in the plates 19 and carrying the common pivot 25 of links 26, 27 for the upper and lower jaws of the unit. A pawl 28 carried by the slider 23 engages a tooth of the row of teeth 29 of the rack bar 7 at each backward movement of the slider, i.e., when the jaws perform an opening movement. The teeth 29 have the same pitch as the grooves 13 of the loading bar 11.

The link 26 is connected to the rear end of a lever 3l) on a pivot 31 adjustable for height by a screw 32. The front end of the lever 36 `is connected by links 33 to a pivot 34 on an upper jaw 3S, the pivot 34 being guided in vertical slots 36 in line with the slot 14 of the guide 11. The link 27 is connected to the rear end of a lever 3'7, pivoted on the bar 6, the front end of the lever carrying the lower jaw 33. (The screw 32 and related parts are omitted from FIGURE 1 for clarity.)

The comb-bar 9 has slots 39 in its front face to receive the rounded bases 40 of U-shaped plate elements, to be secured by the rod 10 with their upper and lower limbs 41, 42 at the upper and lower faces of the belt 15. The slots 39 are one-half of the width of the ends 43 (FIG- URE l) of the llimbs 41, 42 of each element, each of which ends covers the space occupied by three of the staples 12 in the guide 11. When located by lthe combbar 9, each element presents three pairs of holes in each limb in line with the lthree pairs of pointed staple legs in the guide 11. (No attempt is made to.show the holes themselves, since these are occupied by the staples in all three iigures.)

As shown by FIGURE 3, the upper jaw 35 has three is slidable along the steps 44 of the pitch of the staples l2 and a step 45 of double width. The lower jaw 38 covers the width of the step 45 and has two deep recesses 46 to receive and bend the .points 47 of one staple (see particularly FIGURE 2) and two shallow recesses 4S (FIGURE 3) to press the points of the previous staple.

As the jaw unit is positioned by the pawl ZS and the levers 26 are swung simultaneously in opposite directions by the two arms of the operator, the right-hand step 44 (FIGURE 3) of the jaws 35 engages the crown of one staple 12 and forces its points through one pair of holes in the upper limb 41 of a U-shaped element and partly through the belt I5. At the next operation of the jaw 35, .it similarly presses the next staple to the right, and the next step 44 ypresses the .previous staple through the belt and through the pair of holes in the lower limb 4Z. In turn, the next step 44 presses that previous staple more deeply until its points 47 -lie just clear ot the lower jaw 3S; and next the wide step 45 presses that previous staple inline with the recesses 45, so that the points 47 are bent over. Finally, the points are pressed by the wide step 45 into the shallow recesses 4S. Therefore, by successive pressing movements, eaeh of the height of the steps 44, the jaw 35 effects progressive penetration of the staples l2, and finally bending and pressing in association with l the jaw 38. As is seen Iin FIGURE 3, the staples pass through corrugated portions of the limbs of the elements, which provides grooves for the bedding of the crowns of the ystaples and of the presse-d points of the staples.

If the staples 12 are loaded as an assembly connected by a wire or strip secured to their bases, the connection is snapped as the staples are pressed by the jaw 35, so that each staple Iproceeds individually to its final position.

Provided that the U-shaped elements present pairs of holes in register with the slots i3 of the staple gui-de H,

it is immaterial whether each element is or" a size to receive three staples, as in the case particularly described above, or any greater or less member.

What I claim is:

l. A belt-fastening machine comprising side frames, a comb-bar extending transversely between the side frames and having a front face, said front face of the comb-bar being slotted to receive and llocate the bases of U-shaped fastener elements having pairs of `holes disposed lengthwise in their limbs, and the cornb-bar being hollow and there being provided a securing rod to secure the said U-shaped fastener elements inside the comb-bar, a rack bar extending transversely between the side frames, a jaw unit movable along the combsbar and the rack-bar, a pivot bar extending transversely through the ves jaw unit behind the comb-bar, a lower jaw mounted on the pivot and passing below the cornb-bar to the front of the comb-bar, an upper jaw, vertical guide means for the upper jaw in front of the comb-bar, a staple guide extending transversely between the side frames in front of the comb-bar, the staple guide being slotted lengthwise from top to bottom to receive staples with pointed legs to be pressed through the pairs of holes in the U- shaped fas-tener elements, the upper jaw being movable along said guide means into the slot to effect the pressing, common operating means on the jaw unit for moving the upper jaw and the front of the lower jaw first towards each other and then away from each other, the lower jaw having recesses to turn the points of the staples pressed by the upper jaw, and a pawl carried by a part of said operating means to engage the rack bar for progressive movement of the jaw unit by each movement of said means to move the upper jaw and the lower jaw away from each other.

2. A beltdastening machine as in claim l, wherein the faces of the lengthwise slot in the staple guide are formed with registering pairs of vertical grooves for reception and location of the limbs of the stap-les.

3. A belt-fastening machine comprising side frames, a comb-bar, a staple guide, a pivot bar, and a rack bar, all extending transversely between the side frames, the comb-bar having a slotted front .face to receive Ushaped fastener elements with pairs of holes disposed lengthwise of their legs, and the staple guide 4being located in front of the comb-bar and having a lengthwise vertical slot to receive staples with pointed legs directed towards the holes in the elements, a jaw unit movable transversely along the pivot bar and the rack bar and including a lower jaw mounted on the pivot bar and having a recessed face directed towards the staple guide, and an upper jaw movable vertically `into the slot in the sta-ple guide and having a downwardly directed stepped face for progressive engagement with the staples in the staple guide, means for mak-ing the jaws approach each other and then move away from each other, and a .pawl associated with said means for engagement with the rack during movement of the jaws away from each other.

4. A belt-fastening machine as in claim 3, wherein the width of the lower jaw covers only part of the width of the stepped underface of the upper jaw, with only the steps nearest to the lower jaw lying over the lower jaw.

No references cited.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A BELT-FASTENING MACHINE COMPRISING SIDE FRAMES, A COMB-BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE SIDE FRAMES AND HAVING A FRONT FACE, SAID FRONT FACE OF THE COMB-BAR BEING SLOTTED TO RECEIVE AND LOCATE THE BASES OF U-SHAPED FASTENER ELEMENTS HAVING PAIR OF HOLES DISPOSED LENGTHWISE IN THEIR LIMBS, AND THE COMB-BAR BEING HOLLOW AND THERE BEING PROVIDED A SECURING ROD TO SECURE THE SAID U-SHAPED FASTENER ELEMENTS INSIDE THE COMB-BAR, A ROCK BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE SIDE FRAMES, A JAW UNIT MOVABLE ALONG THE COMB-BAR AND THE RACK-BAR, A PIVOT BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE JAW UNIT BEHIND THE COMB-BAR, A LOWER JAW MOUNTED ON THE PIVOT AND PASSING BELOW THE COMB-BAR TO THE FRONT OF THE COMB-BAR, AN UPPER JAW, VERTICAL GUIDE MEANS FOR THE UPPER JAW IN FRONT OF THE COMB-BAR, A STAPLE GUIDE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE SIDE FRAMES IN FRONT OF THE COMB-BAR, THE STAPLE GUIDE BEING SLOTTED LENGTHWISE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM TO RECEIVE STAPLES WITH POINTED LEGS TO BE PRESSED THROUGH THE PAIRS OF HOLES IN THE USHAPED FASTENER ELEMENTS, THE UPPER JAW BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS INTO THE SLOT TO EFFECT THE PRESSING, COMMON OPERATING MEANS ON THE JAW UNIT FOR MOVING THE UPPER JAW AND THE FRONT OF THE LOWER JAW FIRST TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND THEN AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, THE LOWER JAW HAVING RECESSES TO TURN THE POINTS OF THE STAPLES PRESSED BY THE UPPER JAW, AND A PAWL CARRIED BY A PART OF SAID OPERATING MEANS TO ENGAGE THE RACK BAR FOR PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT OF THE JAW UNIT BY EACH MOVEMENT OF SAID MEANS TO MOVE THE UPPER JAW AND THE LOWER JAW AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. 